Locomotive terminal with steaming equipment



April 16, 1929. s, oTls LocouoTIvs TERMINAL WITH STEAMING EQUIPIENT 2 Sheets-Shet l O i it* N Filed Jan. 10 1925 April 16, 1929. s, ons 1,709,228

LOCOMOTIVE TERMINAL WITH STEAMING EQUIPIENT v Filed Jan. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED l,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER OTIS, 0F BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOCOMOTIVE TERMINAL IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LOCOMOTIVE TERMINAL WITH STEAMING EQUIPMENT.

Application filed January 10, 1923.

This invention relates to terminals in which a locomotive may be treated for purposes of renovation and restoration to service, and particularly to a locomotive terminal equipped ior washing out and reiilling' the boiler of a locomotive, and in which locomotives, after such treatment, require tobe restored to the power of self propulsion.

The object ot the invention is to provide means whereby such a terminal may restore a locomotive to service in a greatly reduced time, and at a material saving in expense as compared wit-h practice heretofore followed, so that the stall occupied by the locomotive can be relinquished to a succeeding locomotive, and the restored locomotive can be rendered available for its assigned track in the least possible time; also to provide the terminal with facilities for maintaining the locomotive at steaming pressure at a minimum of expense, even after it leaves the renovating stall and until it leaves the terminal for its assigned track.

It has long been the practice to introduce water into a steam boiler through means of a steam injector, in which steam initially at high velocity and condensed into water without reducing its velocity takes up vthe feed water and overcomes the internalresistance ot the boiler. It has also been proposed to release steam under pressure, from an eX- ternal source, into the lower partof a partly filled boiler, and to permit the steam to give ofi its heat to the water of the boiler and in the course of time develop boiler pressure. But these methods, aside from having to do with the treatment of boilers that are in operation andalready supplied with a complement of water, are relatively slow andinsutlicient and afford no substantial assistance in solving the problem of the present invention, which is to restore the steam boiler within a minimum of time from av state ot evacuation to a condition of yfull water charge at steaming temperature and with internal Working pressure.

The present invention proceeds upon the principle of providing the locomotive terminal with not only usual vmeans for blowing olf the contents of a boiler', salvaging the heat units ot the Vblown oit products, washing out the boiler, and supplying filling water to the same, but in addition thereto, providing means .tor supplying the filling water at the Serial No. 611,710.

highest available temperature and under a head of pressure that will cause it to enter the boiler not only at the beginning when there is no internal boiler resistance, butthroughout the iilling operation during which, under the conditions herein described, the pressure is gradually building up, and until the end point of the filling operation when the pressure may be as high as one hundred pounds or more, and combining with this means for supplying het water under pressure, a superheated steam supply which will be combined with the `water supply ator before the point oi entering the boiler in a manner to boost the entrance ot' the water into the boiler and the temperature of the Water so entering; the steam supply being continued throughout the rllling operation in a manner to have the boiler under internal pressure at the time the iilling is complete, and to develop from the added steam, shortly after the filling ceases, a pressure over the water which will enable the locomotive to leave its stall under own pressure, with or Without kindling of the newly laid lire.

Preferably the terminal will be equipped *ith means for keeping up the supply ot steam at a point outside the renovating stall so that steam pressure can be maintained'in the locomotive while it is waiting to be assigned to a service track. Under some circumstances, the lire may be ignited during the filling operation and steam development from the es;- ternal sources described, so that the time ot attainment of steaming pressure will be still further reduced; but preferably the lire will be ignited at such time in relation to the expected departure of the locomotive from the waiting stand as will insure the maintenance et steam pressure after the locomotive leaves such stand. Steam for artiiicial blowing may be supplied to the stack in accordance with established practice, and steam supply means at the renovating station will preierably be equipped foracting upon the boiler discharge at the time the boiler is being evacuated and particularly during the lat-ter part thereof for the purpose of cutting down the time required for emptying the boiler, the steam so Supplied being salvaged along with the heat units from the blown oit products.

A flow meter or other means may be employed by which the consumption of steam through the steam pipe will be compensated by increased generation in the local plant.

In the accompanying drawings-'- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a locomotive terminal station embodying the several features of the invention, the locomotives being shown in the renovating stall and parking station.

Figure 2 is a section 0n the line 2X-2 of Figure 1 on a greatly enlarged scale; and

Figure 3 is a detail view on a larger scale ofV the equipment at the renovating stall.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the hose connections of Figure 3 shifted to cause blowoif freni the base of the boiler to take place through the mixing box to the blowoif drop, and to be boosted by the use of live steam.

Referring to Figure 1, A represents a main track, B a series of spur tracks leading therefrom, C a locomotive terminal house, D a series of renovating stations in said locomotive house, E a series of parking or waiting stations adapted to be assumed by locomotives under self propulsion by steam pressure developed in them the renovating stations, F ar seriesof spur tracks leading from the parking stations, and G a branch track connecting all of the spur tracks F, through switching tracks H and l, in either direction,

with the track A. In addition to the foregoing, the locomotive terminal is equipped with blowofi, washout, refilling, and steam supplying apparatus now to be described, and it may be supplied with any other accessory apparatus or equipmentsuch, for instance, as a coaling station K.

Y, AReferring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, 1 represents a blowolf pipe adapted to receive blown oif products from a locomotive boiler 2, through a pipe 1a adapted to communicate with a steam dome, as through hose 1, or with the lower portion of the boiler througha hose 1, as may be desired; this blowoti" pipe being connected to deliver the blown off .products to a separator 3, whence the steam constituent escapes through a pipe 4 yto a condenser 5 and thence, accompanied by an increment of water which reaches the condenser through the pipe (l (Fig. 3), iiows through a pipe 7 to the 'filling tank 8; and the water constituent of the blown oil' products being delivered through pipe 9 to washout tank 10. later from washout tank 10 is advanced by a pump 11 iig. 3) through a pipe 12 to feed the drop 13 at the post 14 of the locomotive renovating station. lV-ater from lilling tank 8 is advanced by pump 15 through pipe 16 to supply a drop 17 at said post 14.

v lnaddition to the washout and refill water supply pipe, the terminal is equipped with a live steam pipe 1,8 leading from any suitable stationary boiler 19 where steam can be economically and constantly generated, and this live steam pipe 18 supplies a steam drop 20 at the post 14. Steam drop 20 and filling water drop 17 meet a combined injector and heating box 21 from which a filling pipe 22 leads to the boiler 2 into which the heating box c ischarges, preferably at the front boil er leg 23 in front of the lire box 24.

in treating av locomotive in a terminal equipped as herein described, the procedure is as follows: 'With the blowoif pipe 1aL connected to the steam dome by means of hose 1b, as shown in full lines in Figures 2 and 3, steam may be discharged from the locomotive, under pressure of the locomotive boiler, from a point above the water level thereof, and passed to the filling tank under any of the conditions long recognized in this art, for instance, by sending it to the tank by way of the condenser 5; this steam evacuation being followed, by gravity discharge of the water and sludge through the blowoff cock 23. Or, the initial discharge of the boiler contents may be conducted through an extension 1c of the pipe la, connected to the blowoif cock at 23, so that internal boiler pressure will assist in evacuating the water and sludge; all of said product-s being passed to the separator 3 whencej'he volatiles escape to the condenser 5 and thcnceto the filling tank 8; and the reinanent liquids ultimately going to the washing tank 1()-` Or, as shown in Fig. 4 the extension 1C. shown in dotted lines in F igure 3, may be connected to the mixing box 21, and the Connecting hose 22 may be made to lead from the blowoif cock 23 to the nozzle 21a of said mixing' box and the valve 17a closed and the valve 171 opened, so that the liquid products pass from thelocomot-ive boiler through the mixing box 21, and thence through the extension 1c and blowoif drop 1a. into the blowoif pipe 1 so that by opening the lhigh pressure steam pipe 2O the blowoff may be boosted. either initially or at such time in the procedure as may benecessary to keep up the rapidity of discharge. Having thus evacuated the boiler and performed any washing service that may he necessary byy any suitableniethod. the boiler is ready to be filled, to which end, connection 22 is restored to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, theconnection 1b is removed from the steam dome, `filling water drop 17 is opened to the mixing box 21. thc high pressure steam pressure drop 2O is likewise opened, and a mixture of water and steam, or water first fell wed by a mixture of steam and water afterwardawill flow into the locomotive boiler from the stationary boiler under conditions that induce boiler circulation, with consequent distribution of heat. and rise/.of steam within the boiler, thereby further equalizing boiler temperatures and preventing undue stresses inthe plates. By the time the water level in the boiler 2 reaches the first gauge 25, the pipe y 17 will beclosed and steam alone then permitted to flow into the boiler, rising through the water and accumulating above the water level until internal pressure is developed. This will be continued until the pressure is sufficient to enable the locomotive to leave a renovating stall D under its own power and pass to a parking station E, where it will again be connected with the drop pipe 2O of steam pipe 18 through a hose 22, and the flow of steam i into the boiler will be continued at a. rate just sufiicient to lrcep up the pressure in the boiler and have the locomotive ready to proceed to its assigned track at any time. lVhile at the station D. a smoke jack 28 may be applied to the stack 29 and a fresh tire ignited.

in fire box 24 to assist in getting up steam; or the lighting of the lfire maybe omitted at renovating` station D, and after the locomotive reaches the waiting station E equipped with smolre jack 28, and at such time previous to the expected departure of the locomotive as will insure a hot surface to the fire at the time the locomotive is ready to depart, the fire may be ignited.

The effect of discharging filling water into the boiler at the point 23, and particularly even at the beginning of the filling operation.

The connection lc for blowing off water from the boiler is adapted to be attached to the injector box 21 so that discharge fromv said box will be delivered through the connections 1c and 1a to the blowoff pipe; and the connection 22 from the low part of the boiler is adapted to be attached to the connection 21a, and through said connection deliver water from the boiler into the injector boi; 21, whence it will pass through connections 1 and l to the blowoff pipe; and if live steam pipe 2O be opened at this time, the flow of blowof water will be accelerated and the time required for evacuation of the boiler correspondingly reduced. Inasmuch as the heat units of the steam used for this purpose are recovered in the condenser 5 and delivered to filling tank 8, this method of procedure is economical. Ordinarily, in blowing off the boiler, water will be evacuated from the point 23 directly into connection lc, and thence through connection la to the blowoif pipe so long as internal boiler pressure is suflicient to insure a rapid evacuation of the boiler. But when the boiler pressure drops to a point which greatly slows down the flow of water from the boiler, the connections will be shifted in the manner described, and evacuation of the remainder of the water will be boosted by the steam jet.

30 represents a flow meter or other suitable means for the steam line 18 having connection 81 with a damper 32 whereby it may maintain pressure in the boiler 19 commensurate with consumption of steam on the line 18.

I have established by experiment that great economy in coal consumption will be achieved by equipping a locomotive terminal in the manner herein described, and an important feature of the invention contributing to this result is the means for supplying water at high temperature and under pressure, and means for delivering to said water high pressure steam under conditions which boost the flow of water into the boiler, raise the temperature of the water so introduced and gradually develop steaming pressure within the boiler.

I claim: j

1. In a locomotive terminal, a blowof line, means for connecting the lower portion of a locomotive boiler with said blowoff line, a source of high pressure steam, means adapted to connect said source of steam to said blowoff line in relation to boost the evacuation of the locomotive boiler through said line.

2. In a locomotive terminal, a blowoff line, means for connecting the lower portion of a locomotive boiler with said blowoff line, a

source of high pressure steam, means adapted to connect said source of steam to said blowoff line in relation to boost the evacuation of the locomotive boiler through said line, and means for salvaging heat units of the blown olf products and of the steam supplied to the blowoff line.

SPENCER OTIS. 

